Dock

The Dock is a per-monitor strip of pinned and running applications. Its [dock] keys place it, size it, and decide how it joins the Island where they share an edge.

Key	Type	Default	Notes
dock.pinned	list of .desktop ids	unset	The apps the Dock keeps, left to right; a later file’s list replaces the one below
dock.edge	top | bottom | left | right	bottom	Beside the Island, it sits further in than the Island
dock.align	left | center | right	center	Where along its edge the Dock sits
dock.autohide	bool	false	Hides until the pointer touches the edge; beside the Island it always shows
dock.reserve	bool	true	Windows keep off the Dock’s strip, unless it autohides
dock.magnification	classic | subtle | large | off	classic	How much an icon grows under the pointer, its neighbors less
dock.size	medium | small | large	medium	How big the icons are at rest
dock.merge	crown | keystone | fold | off	crown	How the Dock and the Island join where they share an edge and a side

[dock]
pinned = ["firefox", "kitty"]
edge = "bottom"
size = "medium"
merge = "crown"

The merge modes, along a top or bottom edge: crown raises the Island from the Dock’s middle, keystone makes the Island the Dock’s middle piece, fold unfolds the Dock out of the Island under the pointer, and off leaves the Dock beside the Island, further in.

A left click launches an app without windows as its .desktop file says, focuses its window, or the next one if it is focused already; a middle click starts a new instance even while it runs; a right click opens its menu — pin or unpin, its windows, its .desktop actions.

Note

A pinned id no .desktop file has, as of an app uninstalled or renamed, shows as a ? the Dock’s right-click menu unpins, and kanade status names it. Files dropped on an icon start the app with them only when its Exec has a %f, %F, %u or %U argument and no Path.

See also

Shell and Island, Surfaces, and shell gaps.